Absolutely terrifying. A professional slackliner came to the rescue of an unconscious skier dangling from a ski lift at a Colorado ski resort on Wednesday, January 4.
The Denver Post reports that 28-year-old Mickey Wilson was on the ski lift when a friend in front of him got entangled in his backpack while trying to unload. The 30-year-old unidentified man began to hang by his neck by his backpack, which was still attached to the chair above him.
Wilson told the paper that it took him about five minutes to reach his distressed pal. He climbed the nearby lift tower and shimmied 30-feet to the man. Ski patrollers then tossed Wilson a knife, which he used to cut him free.
“It was one of the most scary things I’ve ever seen, honestly,” Wilson told The Denver Post. “Just seeing a person get the life sucked out of them. I kind of stopped thinking and just started acting.”
“He was not only caught, he was literally being hung by his neck by his backpack. He was hanging 3 feet, 4 feet below the chair,” he added. “His feet were maybe only about 10 feet off the snow.”
Wilson later posted a photo and account of the incident on Instagram. “Panic set in and we struggled in vain for about a minute to build a human pyramid to get to him but the powder was too deep and we toppled over,” he wrote. “Then I had a eureka moment. I realized I could climb the lift tower above the chair and climb onto the cable and shimmy down to him. I knew my slackline experience prepared me perfectly for this so I burst into action.”
According to Wilson, his pal was rushed to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and is now in a neck brace. The two spoke via FaceTime Wednesday night.
“It was incredibly fortunate I was there and able to act quickly. I’d also like to thank ski patrol for their strong work reviving our friend,” Wilson wrote on Instagram. “I just got an update from the hospital and he’s doing quite well and will be released tomorrow! #thankful #lovelife #rightplacerighttime.”
